" In My Youth I See "

[Huathe]

In My Youth I See


In my youth I see a burning light,
a burning light burning bright.

In my youth I see a firey orange leaf in autumn.
A firey leaf shining in the light.

In my youth I see a trout swimming in a shallow
pool of water below the white waterfall in the river.

In my youth I see an apple. An apple on the tree.
A shiny red apple on the apple tree.

In my youth I see a quartz crystal clear as glass,
as clear as glass.

In my youth I see a shiny coin.
A shiny silver dollar to buy something with.

In my youth I see a deer.
A brown buck running through the woods.

In my youth I see a beautiful mountain.
A beautiful majestic mountain.

In my youth I see a teacher trying to teach
me something.




Back in the spring of 1979 the eighth grade class of Sand Hill Middle School ( Buncombe Co NC ) held a poetic prose competition. The only rule was that the poem had to be titled " In My Youth I See ". I wrote it during my english/spelling class taught by Mrs. Lalley and submitted it into the competition. I later found out I came in as the first place winner and they put the poem in the school newspaper. That was way back in April 1979. I was only 14 years old. I found my copy of the paper today, tucked inside an old home security safe. I thought I would post it here. It really brings back memories.

I still have the quartz crystal that is the one mentioned in the poem. I got it from Oscar Walker, a fellow classmate back in 1976 when I was in the 6th grade. The crystal now finds it's home on my computer desk.

Nature has always been a part of my life, then as now. I was an inquisitive learner then and that still holds true today.

[Naleena]

This was really deep for a 14 yr old! When reading it, I thought you were reflecting back on your youth. Amazing poem ESPECIALLY for someone at 14. Perhaps you are an "old" soul.

[Huathe]

Naleena,

It came from the heart. I developed a deep love and curiosity about nature from a young age. When many of my teen friends were out on dates or doing other social activities I would often be found behind the eyepiece of a telescope, alone in a field in the middle of the night. Or in the woods by day. My love for nature is the foundation, along with God, of my druidry.